


Moving On

by Titti



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Challenge Response, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-30
Updated: 2004-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-27 23:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/667674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Christmas day Logan gets the perfect gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving On

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the SAC-2004

Logan wasn't sure when his fixation with Scott had started. In a way, it had started the day they had met. Since day one, the tension between them had been palpable. Of course, to the casual observer, it was due to Logan's infatuation with Jean.

Logan had known better. Scott disturbed him on a visceral level; he was so controlled and in control. He had respect and the ability to lead that few young men possessed. Logan had wanted to strip all of that away and see what made the man tick.

However, in the face of Jean's death, John's departure, and a destroyed school, everything was put aside to reconstruct the school and a sense of safety for the students. Logan set aside any interest he had in one Scott Summers. Temporarily.

Things changed again around December. The school was running smoothly again. The X Men went out into the world to save human beings from evil mutants. Everything seemed to be perfectly normal except for Scott. Yes, he was still perfect and cool, but Logan had begun to see under that façade. Slowly bits and pieces fell into place. Of course, it didn't happen overnight, but it was the sum of key moments.

~*~*~*~

In a school filled with students from all over the United States and the world, the Christmas holidays looked like a UN affair. Menorahs adorned different parts of the mansion. Decorations for Kwanzaa had been made by the students and decorated different rooms. Wreaths and mistletoe were hanging in strategic places. The one thing missing was the Christmas tree.

Storm and Scott had been asked by the professor to obtain one. Storm had informed everyone that they would not destroy one of Mother Nature's children just to set it aside after the holidays and that they would obtain an artificial one.

Scott had reacted in typical Scott fashion. He had shrugged and got the keys of his car. Logan wanted to smack the other man. Since Jean's death, Scott had retreated behind an unnerving apathy, never smiling, never scowling, never showing any emotions regardless of the situation.

The tree had been purchased and brought back to the mansion and now, it was spilling out of the open box while the kids looked at it with anticipation. Real or artificial, there was something magic about decorating the tree.

Scott opened the boxes of decorations, cutting the tape with a switch knife. He pushed the boxes in different parts of the room so that the kids could all help. Then, he straightened out and moved toward the door.

Logan grabbed Scott's arm as the leader of the X Men walked by him. "Aren't you going to stay?"

Scott shook his head. "There are plenty of people to do the work."

"This isn't a job." Logan kept his tight grip on the other man, squeezing a little more than he should have, but Scott didn't even flinch.

"You're right; it's not a job. It's a tree, Logan, a fake tree with fake needles and soon, it will have fake lights and fake snowflakes on top of it." Scott looked straight into Logan's eyes, but he knew that his red glasses would shield his expression just as much as they shielded the world from the damage he could cause. "A tree doesn't change anything."

"No, but you can." Logan finally loosened his grip. He watched Scott leave without acknowledging Logan's comment, then turned to the kids and scowled. "What are you doing staring at me? This tree won't decorate itself. Get a move on it or no presents."

The students laughed at the empty threat. The younger ones looked on, a little suspicious, but when they understood that it wasn't true, they cheerfully went on with their task.

~*~*~*~

The buses were waiting in front of the institute to bring the kids to the mall. A shopping trip should have been such a mundane event, but coordinating a trip with almost a hundred mutants with different powers and conflicting personalities was not an easy task. When they arrived, the students were split into groups and they began their Christmas shopping.

Logan used his enhanced hearing to keep track of the kids, but after a while the noise, hundred of voices and the endless stream of Christmas carols were too much for him, and he concentrated on his group.

Hours and many bags later, they went back to the meeting point in the food court. The decibel levels were above anything any human should endure, Logan thought as he arrived.

He looked around to make sure that everyone was there. His eyes fell on Bobby and Marie. She was brushing his hair with a gloved hand and a sad expression on her face. His hand rested on her hip, their skin separated by layers of clothes, but he looked like he was miles away. It was obvious that they were upset. Logan didn't feel guilty about his eavesdropping and concentrated on what they were saying. The words 'Mr. Summers' and ' how could he say that?' were enough for Logan.

Logan stalked toward Scott and without giving the younger man the chance to react, he grabbed Scott's arms and pushed him toward the end of the food court and into the men's restroom.

"What the fuck did you do to those kids?" he asked with a growl. It was enough to send everyone else in the room running outside. Scott, however, stood there, staring at Logan.

"I haven't done anything. If you're done-" he said with nerve-grating calm.

"No, I'm not done." Logan grabbed Scott's bicep. "Why are they so upset?"

Scott shrugged. "I have no idea." Then he looked at his arm, still held in a vice-like grip. He returned his gaze to Logan. "You like to have your hands on me, don't you?"

Logan pushed him further into the restroom and let go. "They were talking about you. So let's try this again. What did you tell them?"

Scott let out an exasperated sigh. "I Do Not Know. I haven't spoken to them all morning, except..." He paused for a moment. "They asked me if they could have some extra time to get John a gift. I told them no since we needed to meet the group, and it's not like they'll see him. He might not even be alive, for all we know."

Logan growled. "You told them that? How could you? They are friends, and John is just a kid. He's powerful and young, why would you even think that?"

The anger flashed over Scott's features. "Newsflash: powerful and young mutants die." He shook his head sadly. "But then, no one seems to remember that."

Logan's fingers closed into tight fists. He fought the urge to hit the other man. "Don't you dare! We are all mourning Jean."

"Oh really?" Scott said mockingly. "I can see how bereaved you are. Let's cut the crap. She's dead and we have moved on as if she never existed."

Snikt! The claws came out and were stuck into the tiled wall, only inches away from Scott's face. They stood face to face, their bodies almost touching. "I don't have to cry and moan to mourn her. I'm angry about what happened and I take it out on our enemies. Each of us is dealing with her death in a different way, but we have not forgotten her.

"You, on the other hand, you're the one who's locked himself in a fantasy world and pretends that she never existed. Cry, scream, throw things, beat someone up. I don't care what you do, but stop standing there like everything is fine."

They looked at each other, locked into a staring contest. Logan's heavy breathing was the only noise in an uncommonly empty restroom. When the silence was broken, Scott's calm and cold voice bounced off the tiles.

"Thank you for the advice. Now I must go take care of the students." Scott slid between the wall and Logan's body and walked out.

In anger, Logan retreated his claws and punched the wall. The already broken tiles cracked under the impact and fell on the floor.

~*~*~*~

The pendulum chimed once, breaking the silence of the night. Christmas had arrived, but the students were in their beds. They had tried to convince the Professor to wait until the midnight to open their gifts, but Xavier was inflexible. The gifts would be opened in the morning, after breakfast, with everyone rested and fed.

It wasn't excitement that kept Logan awake. No, it was worry about the man who was his field leader, a man who looked too young and hurt to have that responsibility. After the shopping trip, they had barely spoken to each other unless it was work related. Logan, however, had kept a close eye on the other mutant. On the surface, everything was fine, but instincts told Logan that something was definitely wrong.

Unable to sleep, Logan got up and made his way through the mansion. You never knew when someone decided to attack or someone found the stash of liquor he had bought (the later was much more serious since Xavier would find a painful way to kill him).

He reached the rec room when he heard the music. It wasn't any of the annoying carols that had plagued him through the month. No, it was Mozart's Requiem echoing in its depressing magnificence.

Logan entered and looked around. The tree was lit and illuminated the entire room. Scott was sitting on the floor, an almost empty bottle of whiskey in his hand. Somebody did find his stash after all.

"What are you doing?" Logan said gently as he sat next to Scott.

Scott raised the bottle. "I thought it was obvious," he drawled out, his speech clearly affected by the alcohol. "Want some?"

Logan took the bottle and rested it on the other side, away from Scott's reach. "I think you had enough."

"I haven't even started." However, the tree lights dancing in front of his eyes told a different story.

"Yeah? And when do you think you should stop?"

"When I can't remember anymore," Scott said tiredly. He rubbed his eyes, trying to make everything stop moving. "I miss her, Logan," he murmured.

"I know." Another long silence stretched between them. "I miss her, too."

Scott shook his head. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. You spent a few weeks with her and you were in love." He snorted and turned to Logan. "She was more than my girlfriend. She was my best friend, Logan. We were together since we were teenagers. We struggled with homework and growing powers together, we fought peer pressure and evil mutants together. We've always done things together, and now... now she's not here."

"You're right. She was a great woman and I was infatuated, but she loved you." Logan rested a hand on Scott's nape. "She'd want you to be happy. You're smart, good looking, and deserve to live."

"She died because of us."

Logan shook his head, before resting his forehead against Scott's. "She died to give us life. Don't throw her gift away."

Scott closed his eyes behind the glasses and his red tinged world became black. "I don't...I miss her so much."

The fear and sorrow in Scott's voice closed around Logan like a painful grip. Logan rested his hand gently on Scott's cheek. "You will be fine," he whispered before closing the gap and kissing the other man.

Fighting his instincts, Logan didn't deepen the contact, not wanting to scare the other man off. Instead, their lips teased each other with gentle nips. However it wasn't meant to last. Logan felt the exact moment when things changed.

Scott stiffened, then pulled back. He stared at Logan for a moment. "I..." He shook his head and sighed, before getting up and making his way out of the room.

Logan lolled his head back, bumping it against the couch. "Stupid, stupid-" How could he have been so stupid? Scott didn't need to be pushed. He certainly didn't need to be reminded of his dead lover before getting kissed.

Logan decided that it was time to go back to his room before he made more of a mess of things. He grabbed the bottle. It wouldn't make him forget - he couldn't get drunk, - in fact it would remind him even more of this night. He took a swig. Yes, he could still taste Scott on the bottle.

~*~*~*~

The insistent knocking at the door woke Logan up. Christmas or no Christmas, he wanted to sleep; the gifts could wait. However, whoever was at the door thought differently. "Hold your horses," he grunted out, loud enough to be heard. He grabbed the jeans that were lying carelessly on the chair and put them on before opening the door.

He stood there, hesitant, unsure of what to do. Finally, he moved aside and gestured toward his room. Without a word, Scott went inside, and Logan closed the door. He leaned against the door and waited. If this was important enough for Scott to come here, Logan would give him all the time he needed.

"She didn't choose me; she chose our friendship."

Whatever Logan had been expecting, it wasn't this. "Whatcha talking about? She told me."

"I know what she told you, or at least I can imagine, but you don't know the whole truth." Scott sat at the edge of the bed, his eyes on Logan, but his mind in the past. "She knew I was attracted to you. Physically, I mean."

"So you didn't hate me?" Logan asked amused.

"Oh no, I did. You're a dick and that hasn't changed," Scott replied with a smile. "But I still wanted you. She knew that. She was attracted to you as well. We discussed the possibility of asking you to join us in our bed, but she said that too many complications would arise. I was never sure who she was referring to, but I never had the courage to ask her."

"Maybe she wasn't referring to herself." Logan raised his eyebrows and refused to budge under Scott's unbelieving stare. "Why is that so crazy? She knew things we wouldn't admit to ourselves, maybe she was thinking of us."

Scott sniggered. "Yeah, I can see how she could think that. You hate me; I hate you. The basis of a true relationship."

Logan was never a patient man. He could have probably reasoned with Scott, showed him why it was possible, but diplomacy was highly overrated. "You didn't seem to hate me last night."

"Last night was a mistake," Scott said curtly.

"Last night was the first time that you acted like a human being again. It was the first honest emotion since the day Jean died." *Since the day I held you in my arms, comforting you, comforting each other.* Logan sat next to Scott and put his hand on Scott's back, daring him to move away. "If you really hated me, you wouldn't have come here this morning, and you wouldn't have told me what you did."

"I don't know why I'm here," Scott murmured. "I can't... not yet... I can't jump into someone's bed-"

Logan cut him off. "I'm not asking you to, Scott. I'm saying let's give it a chance and we see where it goes."

"It won't be easy and people will talk..."

"Are you trying to convince me that it's a bad idea? I know how bad it is. I knew that you were trouble the moment I set my eyes on you," Logan said.

Scott laughed. "I think that's my line. I'm Mr. Reliable, remember?" Scott brought his fingers to Logan's face, while his eyes were on Logan's lips, those lips that had tasted so sweet the night before. "A very bad idea," Scott murmured.

This time it was Scott who initiated the kiss. The timidity had given way to need, and he took his time exploring Logan's mouth, moving closer as he did so. He felt Logan's hands on his face, the touch unexpectedly soft and gentle.

"We have to stop," Logan said between their kisses.

"I know." Yet the kissing didn't stop.

"Slow, remember?"

There was more kissing before Scott pulled back. "We should go downstairs. The kids will want to open the gifts."

"Yeah, I'm sure they do." Logan got up and found a shirt to wear, before turning to Scott. "So are you gonna sit there or do you plan to go downstairs?"

Scott rolled his eyes. "You're a good kisser, but you're still a dick."

"Pot, kettle, black, ring any bells?" Logan grabbed Scott as he walked past him and pulled him close. "Merry Christmas."

Scott looked at his arm and at Logan's hand. "I was right, you like to have your hands on me." He looked up and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Logan. Now, let's get downstairs before the Professor starts poking around our heads."

"And we certainly don't want him to know what I'm thinking at the moment." Grinning, Logan opened the door. "After you." He felt better when he saw the mirroring grin on Scott's face. They would go as slowly as Scott needed if that would keep the smile on the mutant's face.

They were going to open their Christmas gifts, but Logan had already had the best gift imaginable.


End file.
